Ribbon-inking machine.



W. 5. 00mm.

I RIBBON INKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1911.

Patented May 5, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. COTTON.

RIBBON INKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26, 1911.

1,095,454. Patnted May 5,1914.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

opposite ends of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1 WALTER H. COTTON, OF CHlICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOF TO HAlROIID VAN HOESEN,

- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RIBBON-,INKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all :whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER I-I. CorroN, a cltizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of 'pregnating a web with a fluid and more specifically to machines for applying inkto the ribbons used upon typewriters and like printing devices.

The object of the invention is to provide a ribbon-inking machine which shall beof simple and improved construction and which ma be conveniently used for impregnating ribbons of different widths with any one of a plurality of different colors of ink.-

The invention is exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which 7 7 Figure 1 isa side elevation of a ribboninking machine embodying the features of improvement provided by the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the same; Figs.

3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating details of the construction, and Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the machine, some of the parts being shown in horizontal section.

The parts-0f the machine are preferably assembled upon a unitary carrying frame. Such a frame is generally designated by the numeral 10 in the drawings and as shown,-

comprises a pair of suitable uprights 11 and 12 connected at intervals by tie-rods 13. A pair of parallel side arms 14 and 15 are mounted in the uprights 11 and 12. As

shown, each of these side arms extends horizontally through an apertured head 16 pro-' vided at the'top of the corresponding upright and is removably heldtherein by a set screw 17 Most desirably the uprights 11, 12 of the frame l0and the side arms 14 and 15 are separated a sufficient distance to accommodate between them a web, as 20, of

any ordinary width used in printing. finding and supply rolls designated lS and 19, respectively, are extended between the the side arms 14 and 15 for receiving the ends of the web 20, desired to be inked. As shown, each of these rolls has a tubular core, as 21 and 22. The core 22 of the core.

the supply roll 19 has its 0 posite ends rota-.

tably fitted upon the hea s, as 23 of plungers 24, each of which is transverse y mounted in a bracket 38 fixed upon the adjacent end of one of the side arms 14, 15. As shpwn, each of the plungers 24 is stationarily held in the corresponding'bracket 38 by a set screw 25, the removal and insert-ion of the core 22 being effected by loosening one of the set screws 25 to permit an endwise movement of the plunger'24.

The core 21 of the winding roll 18 has its opposite. ends fitted upon 'the ;heads, as 26,

Patented May 5,1914.

Application filedDecember 26, 1911. SerialNo. 667,948.

27 of plungers 28 and 29 one of which, as 29, w

is rotatable and is driven for winding up the web. The plunger 28 is of the same construction as the plungers 24 and is extended through a bracket 39 fixed upon the adjacent end of the side arm 14. A, set screw 30 serves for holding the plunger 28 against endwise movement. The plunger 29 is rotatably extended throu h a bracket 31 fixed upon the end of the si e armf15; Most desirably a set screw 32'is employed for securiiig each of the brackets 31, 38 and 39 in ace. Preferably the plungers 24 will beso adjusted' in the brackets 38. that the opposite ends of the core 22 of the supply roll 19 will turn upon the heads 23 of the plungers 24 with 'suflicient friction to prevent a too free delivery of the web. The plunger 28 will besimilarly adjusted to cause the adjacent end-of the core 21 of the windin roll 18 to have a corresponding frictiona engagement with the head 26 of the plunger. The opposite end of the core 21, however, is fixed to the head 27 of the plunger 29 to rotate therewith, as by means of a pin 33 mounted upon the head of the plunger and entering a notch 34 provided in the end of e A trough shaped container 35 is provided for receiving the ink with which the ribbon 20 is to] be impregnated. In ractice, the ribbon 20 is drawn through'the ink held within this container by the turning of one of a pair of pressure rolls 36, 37, which en gage the ribbon upon opposite sides for effecting its longitudinal movement and for expressing from the ribbon any excess of the ink which may be carried out of the container. I

The pressure roll 36 extends transversely over the frame 10 and is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 40 and 41, one of which is formed at the top of each of the uprights 11 and 12. Most desirably the ends of the roller shaft extend beyond these bearings,as indicated at 42 and 43, Fig. 5. .The extended end 42 of the shaft serves for receiving a hand crank 44 and a pulley45 is mounted upon the extended end 43 of the shaft. A belt 46 which turns over the .pulley 45 and over a pulley 47, mounted upon the end of the rotatable plunger 29, serves for driving the winding roll 18. Preferably the pulleys 45 and 47 are so proportioned in size that the latter will always be turned at a sufiicient rate to wind up the ribbon 20 irrespective of the size of the winding roll 18, the belt 46 being of such a character that it will slip over the pulley 47 when the winding roll 18 is large before the web 20 isunduly strained.

The pressure roll 37 is preferably of the same size as the roll 36 and is movably j ournaled to permit of its adjustment to and from the roll 36. As shown, the opposite ends of the roll 37-are journaled in sleeves, one of which is shown at 48. These sleeves are movably mounted upon the side arms 14 and 15 and are adjusted in position thereon by means of clamping nuts, as 49, which run upon a threaded part 50 of the arms. Pref erably an expansible spring 51 is coiled about each of the arms 14 and 15 and reacts between the head 16 of one of the uprights 11, 12 and the inner end of the adjacent sleeve 48 to separate'the pressure rolls 36 and 37 when the clamping nuts 49 are released. The pressure rolls 36 and 37 preferably each have an unyieldin surface, as by being formed of metal and injury to the web whlch passes between the rolls is prevented by having the roll 37 driven only by its frictional engagement with the web.. If

' desired, however, a yielding pressure hetween therolls may be obtained by the use of a'cushioning washer, as for example a disk of rubber 52, located between each of the clamping nuts 49 and the adjacent end of the corresponding sleeve 48.

The container 35 is most desirably so mounted on the frame 10 that it may be conveniently removed for the substitution of another container filled with a difierent color of ink. As shown, the container 35 has downwardly inclined bracket arms 53 applied to its opposite ends. These bracket arms project beyond the side wall of the container and their projecting ends are apertured, as indicated at 54 to receive a supportin rod 55. This supporting rod extends t rough the frame 10 from side to side, but may be removed by drawing'outwardly upon one of its ends to release the container. A pair of lugs 56 and 57, which engage the container upon one of its edges, codperate with the rod 55 for holding" the container in place.

As shown, these lugs project downwardly from one ofthe tie-rods 13 used for connecting the upright side members of the frame. In securing the container 35 in place it is lifted upwardly to cause the lugs 56 and 57 to engage its inner edge to bring the aper tures 54 of the brackets 53 into register with openings in the frame provided for receiving the rod 55. The rod 55 is then passed through the said openings in the frame and through the apertures 54. As the weight of the container tends to tilt it downwardly about the rod 55 its inner edge is firmly held against the lugs 56 and 57 to securely hold the container in place. When it is desired to remove the container the rod 55 is drawn outwardly from one side .of the machine whereupon the container may be lowered out of engagement with the lugs 56 and 57 and removed. Preferably a cover 58 is provided for closing the open top of. the container when it is not in use. ,The projecting bracket arms 53 serve as legs for supporting the container in an upright position when it is placed upon a shelf or other horizontal support.

A U-shaped strap 59 permanently mounted upon the frame of the machine is provided for deflecting the web 20 into the container 35 when the latter is in place 95 upon the machine. As shown the strap 59 depends from a bracket member 60 which extends across the frame of the machine above the container. The bracket 60 con veniently takes the form of an angle plate 00 having one of its flanges secured to the front faces of the uprights 11 and 12, as by screw bolts' 61. ,The other flange of the plate 60 serves for the attachment of the ends of the dependin U-shaped strap 59.

In the operation of the machine the web 20 will initially be completely wound upon the core 22 of the supply roll 19. The container 35 being removed, the free end of the web will be placed under the lower hori- 110 zontal portion of the U-shaped deflecting strap, thence upwardly between the pressure rolls 36 and 37 and attached to the core 21 of the winding roll 18. The container 35 filled with ink of the desired color will now 5 be put in place and the machine operated by turning the crank 44. The web is thus progressively drawn through the container and between the ressurerolls 36 and 37 and wound upon t e core 21 of the winding 12o roll 18. The pressure rolls 36, 37 in addition to efl'ectin the advance of the web and the removal of the excess of ink, insure a thorough impregnation of the web by reason of the pressure which they dxert upon its 125 opposite sides.

I claim as my invention- 1. lln combination, a trough-shaped container, an apertured bracket extending obliquely downward from one side the centainer above the said bracket and a pin removably mounted in the frame and adapted to be extended throughthe aperture of the ,said bracket.

2. In a ribbon inking machine, in combination, a frame comprislng a pair of upright side plates, a pressure roll journaled at its opposite ends inthe said side plate, an arm transverse to the axis of the said roll extending horizontally through each side plate. and adjust-ably held thereon, a

' journal bracket fixed upon each end of each of said arms, another journal bracket ad justably mounted on each of said arms intermediate its ends, a supply roll journaled in the said two journal brackets at one end of the said arms, a winding roll journaled 'in the said two journal brackets at the other end of the said arms, an ink container extending between and carried by the side plates,

a second pressure roll journaled in'the said adjustably mounted journal brackets and cooperating with the first mentioned pies sure roll to draw a web form from the supply. roll, through the said ink container and deliver it to the winding roll.

3. In a ribbon inking machine, in combination, a frame comprising a pair of upright side plates, a pressure roll ournaled at its opposite ends in the said side plates, an

ink container extending between and carried by the side plates below said pressure roll, an arm transverse to the axis 'of said roll, extending horizontally through each side plate and adjustably held thereon, a

journal bracket fixed uponeach end of each of said arms, another journal bracket slidingly mounted upon each of said arms intermediate its ends, an expansion spring mounted upon each of said arms and react ing between the corresponding side plate I and slidingly mounted journal bracket, a nut running on. each of said arms and hearing against the corresponding slidingly mounted journal bracket to compress the said spring, a supply roll journaled in the said two ournal brackets at one end of said arms, a winding roll journaled in the said two journal brackets at-the other end ofsaid arms, a second pressure roll journ led in the said slidingly mounted journal brack.

ets and cooperating with the first mentioned pressure roll to draw a web from said sup- .pl roll through the said ink container and de iver it to the winding. roll.

* WALTER H. COTTON.

Witnesses:

E. M. K-LA'roHER, MARIE TAPY. 

